


HARDY RECURRING

by tardis_mole



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-24
Updated: 2015-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-17 18:05:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13664388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tardis_mole/pseuds/tardis_mole
Summary: Summary: While hoping to live a normal life and get back to work, Ellie comes face to face with her worst nightmare. Except that he doesn’t get very far because her other nightmare hasn’t left Broadchurch.





	HARDY RECURRING

**Author's Note:**

> Legal Stuff: No money, goods or services have been exchanged for this story. No breach of copyright is intended. The original work and it's characters are owned by the production companies, authors and scriptwriters. I'm just borrowing them for my own amusement and the entertainment of my readers. I will return them when they tire of me; the characters that is. My readers are non-negotiable.
> 
> ***** DO NOT COPY, SAVE, REPOST OR SHARE THIS WORK. ***** Doing so constitutes stealing under the Theft Act 1968.
> 
> Author’s notes: SPOILER ALERT!! Set two years after the end of Season 2. 
> 
> alternate timeline, broadchurch, hardy/miller, rated t

Hardy Recurring 

Date: February 24 2015

Author: Tardis Mole

Genre: Broadchurch

Rating: T

Pairings/Characters: Hardy/Ellie. Tom Miller. Fred Miller. Elaine Jenkinson.

Warnings: None.

Summary: While hoping to live a normal life and get back to work, Ellie comes face to face with her worst nightmare. Except that he doesn’t get very far because her other nightmare hasn’t left Broadchurch.

Legal Stuff: No money, goods or services have been exchanged for this story. No breach of copyright is intended. The original work and it's characters are owned by the production companies, authors and scriptwriters. I'm just borrowing them for my own amusement and the entertainment of my readers. I will return them when they tire of me; the characters that is. My readers are non-negotiable.

***** DO NOT COPY, SAVE, REPOST OR SHARE THIS WORK. ***** Doing so constitutes stealing under the Theft Act 1968.

Author’s notes: SPOILER ALERT!! Set two years after the end of Season 2. 

alternate timeline, broadchurch, hardy/miller, rated t

ĐĐ

Ellie drove hurriedly towards the school. She was already almost an hour late. The new case had occupied her mind and work. It had taken over her life. Three children had gone missing on their way to school. As a result everyone was on edge and had taken to driving their children to school and picking them up at the end of each day. Normal working hours had ground to a halt.

She parked the car and hurried over to the main entrance, and went straight to the main desk.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I’m here to pick up my son, Tom Miller.”

The woman behind the desk looked uncomfortable. “Sorry. Tom has already been picked up today.”

Ellie turned cold. “You what? What do you mean?”

“He was picked up by your husband at 3:30.”

Ellie felt her blood turn to ice. “My husband? I’m divorced. My ex-husband is a child murderer and you let him take my son?!”

The woman’s face drained of colour.

“I thought we’d been through this!” Ellie continued. “Was I not clear enough at the beginning of the year that only I and four named persons were to pick my son up from school?”

By now, Ellie’s eyes had filled with tears as a schism of fear ran through her.

“What good are you if you’re not protecting our kids from people like him?” she demanded.

Now panicked beyond thought, Ellie rushed outside. She took her phone out of her pocket and dialled a number. It was answered in seconds. “Pete...? It’s Ellie. I need your help,” she gasped as she ran to her car. “I just got back from Bridport and I’m at the school. Tom’s gone... They said Joe took him... Did you not hear me? Joe has Tom...!” Ellie stopped in her tracks. “You what?!” she cried out. She sobbed in sudden and overpowering relief. “You got him?”

Ellie felt faint, almost sinking to the ground as the dark crowded into her field of vision.

“Where is he now...? And my boys...? Yeah, I’ll be right there... Thanks.”

She ended the call, feeling sick. She took a few calming breaths before getting into the car and driving off. But she was still shaking. Someone had spotted Joe before he could get on a bus to Weymouth with Fred. Tom had already run off and raised the alarm, flagging down the first person he knew, who had then called the police.

On the way back to the police station, Ellie hoped the shaking would stop. But as she parked the car and unclenched her hands from the steering wheel it became obvious that the shaking was just as bad, if not worse. She managed to get to the lift, managed to fumble for the buttons, managed to hold herself together until she reached the first floor. She stepped out of the lift to be met by the Chief Super. And she fell apart.

“Where are my boys?!”

“Ellie, calm down,” Elaine urged her. “There’s no harm done. Tom was very brave and did everything right.”

“Did you get Joe? Did you get him?”

“We’ve got him,” Elaine assured her.

“How did he get hold of Fred? I thought there were safeguards in place. That’s why I went to pick Tom up first,” she sobbed.

“We’ll look into that. Do you want to press charges of child abduction and breach of a restraining order?”

“Of course I bloody want to press charges! Erm...” She wiped her shaking hands over her face and blew out a sharp breath. “Yes. I want to press charges. Where are my kids? I need to see them.”

“I’ll take you to them.”

Đ

At the play park, Elaine nodded towards where Tom was gently pushing a giggling Fred on the swing. Ellie thanked her and walked towards them. Even as she walked, she could see the boys weren’t alone. A man in a police overcoat sat on the bench next to the swings. And PC Bob Daniels was standing along the far side of the rubber play area.

“Tom?”

Tom looked around. He turned back and caught the swing and then turned to smile at his mum. “Mum.”

Ellie trotted over, with fresh tears, and hugged him.

“He told me I had to, Mum,” Tom told her. “He told me not to cause a scene and to go with him quietly. I got in the taxi with him. He wouldn’t let go of my arm. And when we got to Fred’s school, I got out and made a run for it.”

“You were so brave,” she praised, kissing his temple. “Have you given a statement to the police?”

Tom nodded. “Mr. Daniels sat with me. And your boss spoke to Fred.”

“Elaine?”

“Yeah. Her, too.”

“Ok. So why are you out here on your own? You know it’s not safe, not with kids going missing.”

“They were never alone.”

Ellie turned her head to finally look at the man who had been sitting on the bench. It was Alec Hardy. He had relinquished his bench and now stood closer to the swings. They looked at each other for a long moment. She hadn’t seen him in two years. She looked away. Elaine was still by the gate. She turned and lifted Fred out of the swing.

“Tom, take Fred and go with Elaine back to the police station, would you? I’ll meet you there in a minute.”

Tom nodded, taking Fred’s hand and walking towards the gate. Ellie waited until they were out of earshot.

“You came back.”

“I didn’t leave,” he corrected.

“Why? What happened to you going back to be near your daughter?”

“I was cleared for duty. I have a job. They needed me here. Besides, Sandbrook didn’t want me back, despite getting the case to Court and winning the convictions. The Chief Super was more than happy to have me back.”

“So where have you been all this time?”

“I’ve been working undercover on other cases. More recently three missing children,” he replied.

“What?”

“I told Elaine I would only work at Broadchurch if Miller was reinstated. She told me you were already here. I started back in CID today. I was the one who caught Joe as he was getting on the bus. Fred was screaming for you, just as uniforms swooped in, in a police car.” He looked at her. She was a mess, just beneath the surface of silent calm. “Need a hug?”

“No!”

“I need one,” he clarified. “The way you were that day when I was getting the taxi, I could tell you had something to say. We need to talk, Ellie.”

“Don’t call me that!” she snapped.

“We’re both off duty,” he pointed out. “At least you haven’t denied anything I’ve said so far.”

Ellie fell silent again, looking at him. 

“My ex-wife knows how I feel about you. It’s time you did. I told her that I missed her, but she turned me down. She set me right. I wasn’t missing her. I was missing you. So if you’re not going to let me hug you, at least give me a hug. Because, by god, I need one.”

“I tried to hint,” she admitted. “That day when you were sitting on the harbour wall. That we’re never really alone.”

Hardy nodded. “I remember. That’s what made me stay. And then you wouldn’t even look at me at the cabin, like you didn’t want me to leave but were too embarrassed to say it. Or too scared.”

Ellie let out a sob without noticing. “You’re my boss. We can’t.”

“Not in there, no,” he nodded towards the police station. “But out here, off duty... I need you. I need a hug, Ellie.”

Ellie hesitated. But then she slowly moved towards him and curled her arms around his shoulders. He curled his around her back and held her, feeling the balm he needed. When the hug came to a natural end, he let go and felt much better.

“Where are you staying? Tell me you’re not living in that dingy old cabin on the harbour.”

“No. I’m up at the cottage. I still own it.”

“Really?” she voiced in surprise. “Fancy coming around for dinner? Not sure what we’re having. It’s Tom’s turn to cook. Might end up being beans on toast,” she disparaged with affection.

Hardy grinned, chuckling a little. “I’d love to. Good for the heart, so the saying goes.”

“Don’t repeat that in front of my boys,” she warned and then suddenly giggled.

He chuckled again.

“There’s a surprise. DI Hardy has a naughty side.”

“Guilty,” he noted in mock seriousness. “Shall I cuff myself, or do you remember how to use them?”

“Saucy git!”

They were silent for a minute. Ellie looked across the playground and Bob Daniels had gone, and across the road towards the bay, where Elaine was slowly walking the boys back. She turned back and realised Hardy was looking at his shoes, though he was trying to hide a grin of amusement.

“My boys are going to be scared out of their minds.”

“Joe’s in custody. They’re safe.”

“Yeah, but what about the other kids. Did he have something to do with them?”

Hardy shook his head. “I don’t know, but I doubt it. Like I said, I’ve been working under cover. How about we find out, you and me, break the case, and see if we can’t bag ourselves a kidnapper? Up for it?”

“I heard a ransom was demanded.”

“That was their second mistake.”

“What was their first one?”

“Taking three girls from the same family.”

“Are you getting a hunch?”

“Oh yes, Miller. The criminals around here are getting sloppy.”

“Better get on with it, then, sir,” she teased straight faced.

“In the morning, Miller. First on the list of priorities is dinner and a long talk.”

“You sound confident? Wanna fill me in.”

“One step at a time, Miller,” he responded ambiguously. “I found the girls tied up in a barn on Brit Farm about two hours ago. I’ve left a few uniforms up there to watch the place overnight. But, like I said, we’re off duty. Forget work. It’s time for you and me.”

ĐĐ

Completed


End file.
